Automatic railroad-switch.



R. HEDDEN.. AUTOMATIC RAILROAD SWITCH. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 18,1916.

Patented Jilly 17, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

" awww toz R ITER HEDDEN c J c m R. HEDDEN. AUTOMATIC RAILROAD SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 18. 191-5.

Patented July 17, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z LQ83A70,

LRITER HEDDEN, OF BENTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC RAILROAD-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 17, 1917.

Application filed. March 18, 1916. Serial No. 85,155.

To. all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RITER HEDDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Benton, in the county of Columbia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Railroad-Switches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to switches, and particularly to automatically operated switches.

The general object of my invention is the provision of an automatically operated switch so constructed that the switch points may be shifted in either one of two directions by cars on either side of the switch on the main, or approaching the switch from a branch track.

A further object of my invention is to provide a switch which shall be positive in its action and which is so constructed that the switch points cannot shift out of alinement with the rails of the branch track or the main track.

Still another object is the provision of a switch which may be automatically operated by the motorman on approaching cars or may be manually operated.

Still another object is the provision, in connection with a switch, of pivoted, oper ating members disposed in the length of the track, these operating members having inclined lateral edges or faces adapted to be engaged by operating wheels or like members on the car adapted to be pressed by the motorman into operative position.

Still another object is the, provision of a switch particularly adapted for a street car service, though not necessarily limited thereto, so formed that the operating parts of the switch may be entirely inclosed and only the pivoted actuating members be left exposed.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a section of track provided with my improved switch actuating mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a like view to Fig. 1 but showing a different position of the switch and the cover plate removed;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view through a car showing the member 25 and the corresponding gear wheel yoke in elevatlon;

Fig. 4. is a longitudinal sectional view through a car, showing the switch actuating mechanism illustrated in Fig. 3 in elevatlon;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view through the track and the crank 141, the switch rod 16 being shown in elevation;

Fig. 6 is a perspective detail view of the yoke 27, and showing in dotted lines the actuating member 25;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the switch stand;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of the crank;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of the crank and switch rod;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view of the actuating member 21, the corresponding yoke being shown in elevation.

Referring to these figures, A designates the rails of a main track and B the rails of a branch track. Operating in conjunction with the rails A and B are-the switch points 10, each of these points being pivoted at one end as at 11, the other end being adapted to aline with the ends of the rails of the tracks A or B, as the case may be. Disposed longitudinally between the rails is a shaft 12 which is mounted in bearings 13 and has a crank portion 14 intermediate its ends. On each side of the crank portion 14 the shaft is made relatively thick with flat sides, as at 15 for a purpose to be hereafter disclosed. Operatively connected at its ends to the switch points 10 is a switch rod or bar 16 which at its middle is cut away as at 17 to accommodate the thickened portion 15 of the shaft, and pivotally connected to the switch rod or bar 16 is a link 18 which is engaged by the crank 14. This link has a flat under side and projects beyond the crank so as to extend at all times across the cut away portion 17 of the switch bar. At its ends the shaft 12 carries the gear wheels 19.

Disposed between the tracks at one end of the shaft 12 is a base plate 20, and pivotally mounted upon this base plate is an operating member 21. This member is wedgeshaped and its smaller end is directed away from the adjacent gear wheel 19. The larger end of the actuating member 21 projects beyond the block 20 and is provided with a rack 22 engaging the gear wheel. In order to hold the actuating member 21 into firm engagement with the gear wheel, I provide yoke 23 which extends upwardnon each side of the shaft and at its upper end is formed with a hp 241 engaging over the upper edge of the rack attached to the member 21. Hence the free end of the member 21 cannot rise. -At the opposite end of the shaft 12 I provide the actuating member 25 which. is the same in shapeand operation as the member 21 and is provided on its ends with the rack 26 engaging with the corresponding gear'wheel 19. Here also there is 7 provided the yoke'27 which extends upward on each side of the shaft 12 and has a lip which engages over the free edge of the actuating member, this actuating member being mounted upon a base 28.

For thewpurpose .of providing means whereby the switch points may be operated from the branch track, I pivotally :mount upon a base 29 the actuating member 30. This base 29 is disposed between the branch tracks B. This member 30 is likewise tapering in form, and like the member 25, ta-

pe'rs away from the switch point. Pivotally mounted in any suitable manner is a lever 31which at one extremity is pivoted to the actuating member 30,. as at'32, and which at its other extremity is operatively connected to the'free end. of the actuating member 25 by.'means of a link 33, this link being pivotally connectedto the lever 31 and to the 7 under side of the member 25.

For the purposeof signaling the position of'the switch point, I connect to. the switch bar 16 the signalstaff 34 carrying the signal vanes 35, this staff being mounted in any suitablefbase having a crank arm at its lower'iend connected to the switch rod 16 by means of a link 36. In order to provide for operating. the switch by hand, I mount 'at the side of the track a switch lever or I thetwo pairs of depressible wheels 39 and 39*. Each pair of wheels is laterally spaced withrelation'to each other and independently depressible, and each wheel is normally 'hel'd upward by means of a spring 4103] The upper end ofeachwheel pro- Y vided with a 'treadle whichfis disposed in convenient position to the 'motorman. The wheels 39 and 39 are so disposed that one or the other will, engage with one or the other side faces of the operating members 21, 25 and 30. If, for instance, new, the switch isset to th'position shownin Fig. 2,

that is, to the main line, and a car approaches on the main line and wishes to turn off upon the branch line, the motorman depresses the wheel 39 which engages with the inclined side face of the actuating 1no1nber 21 and forces this actuating member over toward the left, as in Fig. 1, thus rotating the shaft so as to carry the crank from the left to the right. When the shaft has been rotated to its full extentso that the thickened portion '15 lies fiat upon the base .13 on which the shaft is mounted, the switch points 10 will have been shifted over to the branch track.

If now a car approaches a switch along the main track, but in an opposite direction' to thefirst named car, then the wheel 39 is depressed, that is, the wheel on the right hand side of the car, which will engage'the right hand edge face of the member 25 and shift it to the left, thus rotating the shaft to the left relative to the forward end of car and shiftingthe switch points to the main line. If the switch points are to the mainline and a car approaches upon the branch track B, the inotorman will again depress the wheel 39, that is, the wheel on the right hand side of the car, which will engagewith the right hand side face of the actuating member 30, shifting thisactuating member to the left. The forward end of the lever 31, however,will be shifted to the right and this through the link 33 will shift the actuating member 25 to the right; rotating the shaft 12 so as to throw the switch points to the branch track.

Particular attention should be called to the fact that when the switch rod or bar 16 is'shifted to either of its positions, the link 18 will lie flatdown against the base 13, as will the thickened'portion 14: of the crank. Thus the base 13 limits rotation of the shaft 12 to half a circle, and this rotation is just suflicient to carry the switch points from a position in alinement with the rails A into a position in alinement with the rails B. Thus the switch points are posi tively heldin'their proper positions and cannotbejthrown either too much or too little. The operating mechanism, with the exception of the members 21, 25 and 30, is intended to be entirely inclosed so that the operating parts will not be subjected to the action of rain, or to be clogged by snow and ice. 1

The operating members 21, 25 and 30 are sufficiently long so that the wedging engagement of the wheels 39 or 39 with these members will not act to throw the car from the track but that a sufficient leverage is secured to operate the switch with relative ease. The operation of the mechanism is very simple, is entirely positive, and provides a very convenient means whereby switches may. be shifted at the will of the motorman. The operating mechanism has few parts, and these of a very simple construction, and there is nothing to get out of order.

WVhile I have illustrated certain features of invention which I believe to be particularly effective, I wish it understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the various parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having described the invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination with a main line of track and a branch line of track and a switch point, of means for operating the switch point comprising a longitudinally disposed shaft between the main line of track, laterally shiftable actuating members disposed at opposite ends of the shaft and laterally movable to rotate the shaft in one direction or the other, a switch rod operatively connected to the shaft to be shifted by a rotation thereof, gear wheels on the ends of the shaft, oppositely disposed wedge-shaped pivoted laterally movable actuating members disposed between the rails of the main track and having racks engageable with said gear wheels, a pivoted wedge-shaped movable actuating member disposed between the rails of the branch track, a lever operatively connected thereto and operatively connected at its other extremity to the adjacent actuating member on the main track, and a car having depressible means for engaging one or the other edge of an actuating member to thereby shift it laterally.

2. In a switch operating mechanism, a switch actuating shaft having a gear wheel, a laterally movable pivoted actuating memher having rack teeth engaging said gear wheel on the shaft, and a yoke having a lip extending over the free edge of the actuating member.

3. In a switch of the character described, the combination with a switch point, of an operating crank shaft therefor, the crank having flat side faces, a base plate on which the crank shaft is mounted, said base plate acting as a means for limiting the movement of the crank-by the engagement of the flat sides of the crank with the base plate.

4. In a switch of the character described, the combination with a switch point, of an operating crank shaft therefor, the crank having flat side faces, a base plate on which the crank shaft is mounted, the base plate acting to limit the throw of the crank, a link having a flat under face adapted to rest flat down upon thebase plate when the crank is in one or the other of its extreme positions, said link being operatively connected to the switch point.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two wit- IIGSSGS.

RITER I-IEDDEN.

Witnesses:

JOHN J. MATHZER, HARRY G. SANDs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

